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Watch: Merrick Garland left dumbstruck after this question [Video]

By: The Horn editorial team

Attorney General Merrick Garland testified before the House on Wednesday, and he faced the House GOP’s accusations of slow-walking the Justice Department’s investigation of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter.

The Republicans have made two allegations: that the Justice Department slow-walked the yearslong case into Hunter Biden and that the prosecutor in charge of that case did not have the full authority necessary to bring the necessary charges against the younger Biden.

One representative — Mike Johnson of Louisiana — left Garland speechless by pursuing these two lines of questioning.

Early in the hearing, Johnson asked Garland whether he had talked with anyone at FBI headquarters about the Hunter Biden investigation.

Johnson asked, “Have you had personal contact with anyone at FBI headquarters about the Hunter Biden investigation?”

The attorney general’s response began with a long pause and ended with a non-answer.

Garland said, “I don’t recollect the answer to that question, but the FBI works for the Justice Department. It’s –”

Johnson interrupted, “I’m sorry, you don’t recollect whether you’ve talked with anybody at FBI headquarters about an investigation of the president’s son?”

Garland repeated his sound bite. “I don’t believe that I did. I promised the Senate, when I came before it for confirmation, that I would leave Mr. Weiss in place and that I would not interfere with his investigation,” Garland said.

Johnson kept pushing, and he asked about Garland’s relationship with Special Counsel David Weiss, the lead prosecutor on the case. Johnosn asked, “Can you tell us about any briefings or discussions that you personally have had with Mr. Weiss regarding any and all investigations of Hunter Biden?”

“I’m going to say again,” Garland answered. “I promised the Senate that I would not interfere with Mr. Weiss —

Johnson interrupted, “Under oath today, your testimony is you have not had any discussions with Mr. Weiss about this matter?”

“My testimony today is that I promised the Senate I would not intrude in his investigation,” Garland responed. “I do not intend to discuss internal Justice Department deliberations, whether or not I had them.”

“Oh, OK,” Johnson exclaimed. “So your testimony today is you’re not going to tell us whether you had discussions with Mr. Weiss?”

“My testimony today is that I told Committee I would not interfere,” Garland repeated. “I made clear that Mr. Weiss would have to authority to bring cases that he thought were appropriate.”

Take a look —

Johnson then asked Garland about the alleged roadblocks faced by Weiss in bringing charges.

“Let me stop. For a second time, sir, are you aware that FBI officials have come before this committee and they have stated that there was a cumbersome, bureaucratic process that Mr. Weiss had to go through to bring charges in another judicial district? Did you know that?”

Garland described the process not as cumbersome, but as standard.

“I’m not aware. But that’s not true; there’s nothing cumbersome about the process,” Garland said.

Johnson remained unconvinced.

“Now, here’s the question,” Johnson said. “Why has the Justice Department dragged this investigation out for so long? Does it really take years to determine if Hunter Biden lied on a federal form related to purchasing a firearm?… Is that standard procedure?”

Garland concluded, “He [Weiss] was charged with that investigation under the previous administration. He’s continued. He knows how to conduct investigations, and I have not intruded or attempted to evaluate that, because that was the promise I made in the Senate.”

 

The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article.